Crimson Debt: Book 1 in the Born to Darkness series by Evangeline Anderson

area
Inquisitor.”
    “Area Inquisitor?”
    “We have a government too, as you know,”
Corbin said mildly. “And it is only slightly more corrupt than your
own. So if the Inquisitor is with Celeste now, chances are he will
visit me next.”
    “Taylor said his name was Roderick,” I
said.
    Corbin nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. When he
comes to me I must either flatter him with gifts or impress him
with a display of my strength. Otherwise, he will think me weak and
ineffective and attempt to have me replaced.”
    “I can’t imagine that’s ever been a problem
for you,” I said dryly.
    He grinned. “No. But one gets tired of doing
the same old thing, year after year. This year I think a more
subtle display is in order.”
    “What are you thinking of doing?” I asked
warily. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like his idea, whatever
it was.
    “I am thinking that nothing would be more
impressive than to have a non-glam human Auditor as my
consort.”
    “So…you want me to pretend to be your
date?”
    “My lover.” Corbin’s silver-blue eyes were
hooded. “And you would have to play the part very… very well.
If the Inquisitor suspects that I am attempting to deceive him, the
consequences would be…unpleasant to say the least.”
    “So I have to—what? Hang on your arm, pretend
to be all lovey-dovey?” I was beginning to feel cautiously
optimistic. This actually sounded doable—a lot more doable than
having sex with a vampire, anyway.
    Corbin seemed to catch my relief because he
frowned. “I am afraid this will be a little more involved than you
seem to think.” He stood up from the edge of the desk and reached
for me. I stepped back by instinct and he shook his head. “First,
you must not flinch from my touch. You will have to get used to my
hands on your body, my mouth on yours.” He reached for me again and
pulled me up against the hard planes of his chest. Then he kissed
me.
    It had been a long time since I’d locked lips
with anyone and I have to be honest—it was good. Damn good.
Maybe because he’d had centuries of practice kissing or maybe
because of the little thrill of danger that ran through me when he
took me in his arms. He could break me in half with less effort
than it would take me to break a pencil. But though I could feel
his immense strength in the tension of his big body he was
gentle—even tender.
    I was tense in his arms at first—nervous and
uncertain. But despite my hostility for Corbin, there was no
denying that he was hot. Against my will, I felt myself melting and
even kissing him back a little. But when one of his needle-sharp
fangs nicked my lower lip, I pulled back abruptly.
    “Ouch!”
    “My apologies.” His voice was even deeper
than usual and his pupils were dilated, the black eating the
silver-blue of his irises.
    I touched a finger to my hurt lip and it came
back with a red smudge. It was a damn good thing we hadn’t been
doing anything more sexual than kissing or there might have been
trouble. I didn’t care how much Corbin talked about his
self-control, there was no way I wanted to be with a vampire who
was feeling the urge to feed and the urge to fuck at the same
time.
    “I’m bleeding,” I said.
    “I know.” He took my hand in his and sucked
my finger into his mouth. I felt his tongue, warm and wet, lap
gently against my fingertip. Shivering, I pulled my hand away.
    “Your blood is sweet. You
taste…innocent.”
    I frowned. “I’m not a virgin if that’s what
you’re implying, so don’t get your hopes up.”
    “No, but you have not often known the
pleasure of a man’s body against your own.”
    Speaking of which, I could feel something
hard pressing insistently against my thigh. I looked up at him.
“And this is different from having sex with you how?”
    “Not as much penetration.” He smiled down at
me, showing his fangs. “Although I may need to bite you again in
front of the Inquisitor to prove my ownership.”
    “Ownership? Now